Rosemary Gladstar, Herbalist and Friend

Last month I had the opportunity, again, to listen to my friend Rosemary Gladstar talk about using  herbs for nutrition and health. She was speaking at The Mother Earth News Fair and I was an exhibitor there.Rosemary is one of the matriarchs of the herbal world. She has been creating effective and great tasting herbal formulas for over 4 decades. I am honored to know her and feel blessed too, of having her support and encouragement over the years. Her belief in me, as I grew The Herbal Sage Tea Company,inspired me to become a better formulator. Rosemary has a great way of reaching out, she makes it look so easy! I was sent this prompt today, this is a new venue for Rosemary, using the Internet to share her story. Take a moment and join her, and I know you will enjoy her as much as I have over the years!

 Maureen and Rosemary a few years ago at

The New  England Womens Herbal Gathering

                                                            http://rosemarysremedies.com

Letting Go

Fall is quickly approaching and soon winter will be creeping in. Changes are all around, and its time to  let go of the falsehood of control,of trying to hang on.As the leaves are beginning to turn here in SE Ohio and I am settling in with the changes that have happended in my life this year.This has been quite a year in learning to let go. Perhaps not so much in learning as an achieved task, but learning,as forced ,to move thru hard times.

 Early summer my father passed on, it was difficult and too quick. Once he was able to come home from  the hospital and be at our house, he let go and within a week was gone. I hadn't wanted that happen, yet it wasn't up to me, was it? Summer began then, in a new way for the first time in my life, no talks of fishing trips, no calling home to tell him about new recipes, new clients, new endeavours. He had always been the guy I went to as business grew ( up and down!), then grew again. He helped me keep to the task at hand, always helping me look to the finished product, the end result. Regardless, if it was beneficial in  financial growth ,or just another one of my creative ideas, that created yet another curve in the road of my life!

I miss him.

This last week that sadness was rekindled as a close friend, Megan who lived in the DC area passed on unexpectledly. Now THAT was something too, that I didn't want to happen. She leaves behind a very young son,a loving family and many, many friends. My friend Megan helped steer me ,while I  maneuvered thru the hoops that  the large natural food store chain,that had picked up The Herbal Sage Tea Company Teas, put me through.  She kept me grounded and reminded me of my vision for The Herbal Sage. Her help was invaluable as I got knocked around by the "big" players, helped me stay true to quality and to the passion that still drives me.

These losses this year have actually been gifts for me. Their passing has helped me realize the fleeing of this life.Sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly it always moves on. How I move with it is up to me.

I am drinking a nourishing herbal tea, organic nettle leaf as I write.I had thought of this blogg as an avenue for herbal news, I realize that I hadn't written in so long because this fear and sadness I held close and hung on to,kept me stuck and unable to write. Perhaps with this blogg post, I am able to let go a bit more and make room for the richness and beauty of  this season.

Thanks to all of you for reading.

Foods that Heal ~ Spicebush

Harold  was the man who introduced me to this native shrub called Spicebush. To Harold, Spicebush was a common shrub with many uses. Although this shrub is found throughout all of Ohio, I had never seen it near our home in Cleveland. Probably because it is an understory shrub, meaning it grows under other trees in the woodlands, and there was not  much in the way of woodlands on the west side of Cleveland where I cam from!.

During a hike in the woods near our home in Rutland, Ohio Harold broke off a small twig from this beautiful plant and had us put it on our mouths, much like a large toothpick. The taste was spicy and the fragrance was intense. He explained that folks around here use the twigs by adding it to hot water to make tea. Harold and his brothers would make batches of this tea during deer season every fall when hunting. I loved it the taste. Honestly I'm not sure if I loved the Spicebush itself, as much as I loved that Harold took time to show us so many things in these woodlands, he was a treasure for sure.

Spicebush ( Lindera benzoin) is in the Laurel Family ( Lauraceae). It bears bright red fruit in late summer and early autumn on the female shrubs. These berries are often eaten by wildlife, yet they are so abundant here that the bounty is plentiful for all. The glossy foliage is dark green and is often found near its neighbor the Paw Paw Tree.

Local Paw Paw expert Chris Chmeil uses the leaves of this shrub for tea.This is Chris at our local Athens Farmers Market, showing dried Spicebush twig and leaf. We've both been at this market for years, Chris with Integration Acres and me with The Herbal Sage Tea Company.

Letting the berries of the Spicebush dry, I then prepare tea from this dried material.I like to crush the berries and blend with local mints or other herbs to create inspired blends. I vary the amount of berries in each blend, as well as vary how much the berries are crushed. When the berries are crushed the flavor is more intense than when left slightly crushed, then the taste is milder.

Often folks say the berries taste similar to allspice. I can taste the subtleness and understand their comparison, but I admit there is nothing like this berry as far as unique flavor.The berries,leaves and twigs can all be used as tea. It is said that this tea will relieve fatigue, cold symptoms and intestinal disorders. Oils from the berries have been applied topically to treat bruises and as a general first aid, first relief, for cuts and abrasions. The strong fragrance of the leaf, crushed is often used to invigorate while out in the woods hiking. Try crushing a leaf and add it to you pocket, remove and smell when needing a bit of energy! Using the leaf, berry ,or twigs as  a compress has traditionally been used to soothe mild skin irritations , rashes and  itching.

When brushing up against Spicebush in the woods I often think of Harold and am forever grateful for the patience he took with a city gal and her urban son, although poking fun of us for our naivety , he helped to open up a whole new natural  world  for us.

The Herbal Sage Tea Company will have  Native Spicebush  Tea Blend available as soon as the berries are harvested and dried. Check on this seasonally delightful at
www.herbalsage.com

If you want to learn more and taste Spicebush visit The Paw Paw expert, Chris and friends at this year's Spicebush Festival in Athens Ohio. Follow the link below  for details
http://www.athensohio.com/events/festivals/summer-solstice-spicebush-celebration.

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Foods That Heal: Spinach

Today's Food that Heals is Spinach served up in Crumbs Bakery's Spinach Fettuccine.

This is pasta that Popeye would love!

How Happy is Lisa?

Lisa works at Crumbs Bakery, which is why she is so happy! Crumbs is a worker owner business established in 1986 and is located in Athens, Ohio. They have wonderful pastries, as well as hand crafted crackers and wonderful pasta. Crumbs Bakery is in a shared use kitchen with me, The Herbal Sage Tea Company. There are other folks who create wonderful foods as well, but today's topic is on Lisa, Crumbs and the FAB Spinach Fettuccine. What a wonderful way to include some veggie into a nutritious meal.

We often think of spinach as a cooked green and many do not enjoy it.Spinach  eaten as a fresh green,  can tend to be tough or too leafy for many. But spinach is so beneficial. I want to encourage everyone to try spinach in their weekly menu. Lisa is just the gal to help make that happen. Can  you see that glow of health beaming directlyy at you? Could it be that those ribbons of spinach and love are permeating thru? Maybe!! I love having creative folks  around the kitchen, we never know what will be stirred up, cooked or brewed. Lisa's infectious laugh is an added bonus any day at work.

Include spinach in your diet the easy way is with the Spinach Fettuccine offered by our local bakers from Crumbs! Spinach is rich in flavanoids, vitamins and minerals. Dried spinach is blended with flour, eggs and other secret bakery ingredients and made into these little ribbons called Fettuccine. By eating this nourishing pasta one has the benefits of fiber.Spinach is rich in complex carbohydrates, which provides our bodies with vitamins, minerals and energy. Crumbs Bakery and their offering of spinach, can provide our bellies with a real delight in taste as well as health!

So please eat your spinach! Keep Lisa smilin'!

Foods that Heal

This is the first blog on my series entitled,
"Foods that Heal". My focus is on herbs and their therapeutic effects, with the idea that herbs are not only something to add to water to make a tissane or tea, but something to add to your meals or use to create a meal.
I will be interviewing Athens,Ohio area growers, producers and foodies for this series and allow them to share with you their favortie Foods that Heal.

Today's herb is one such herb,it is one of my favorite herbs for health.Nettles ( Urtica dioica),also known as Stinging Nettle are best harvested in spring, when the leaves are fresh and full of healthful juices.They are considered a spring remedy and a general detoxifying herb for the whole body. Nettle has Vitamin C, protein and fiber. It also works in creating relief of allergy symptoms as Nettle is a source of quercetin which is a flavonoid that inhibits the release of histamine. Many find that by drinking Nettle tea consistently they exhibit less allergy problems. Nettles are nutrient dense and contain the minerals calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, sulfur and zinc, as well as vitamins B-1, B-2, B-3, B-5, C, E, K and folate. In addition, Nettle contain numerous phytochemicals, including lycopene and beta-carotene.Nettle is also a diuretic,helping to rid the body of excess fluid and toxins.

If you choose to harvest Nettle yourself, be sure to wear gloves as Nettle has fine hairs on the leaves and stems that contain chemicals that sting and burn when it comes in contact with the skin.Folk remedy suggests that stinging yourself with Nettle will relieve pain associated with arthritis. I just find it uncomfortable if I harvest without wearing gloves. When the leaves are steamed in tea or cooked, the stinging will not occur.Nettle also looses much of its sting when dried.

It is most often prepared as an infusion, pouring a cup of boiling water over 1-2 teaspoons of the dried herb and leaf to infuse for 10-15 minutes I make it into a tea and also use the leaves as food. Nettle is nourishment, simple yet effective, nourishment.

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Today, I have chosen to make a batch of Nettle sun tea, which after steeping for the entire day, I will strain and put into the frig for refreshing cups of Nettle tea for a few days!
We served Nettle to everyone at Athens Farmers Market on Saturday and converted many naysayers to the wonderful taste of Nettle tea.We brewed it hot, then cooled it and sampled it as Iced Tea. It was wonderful!

Slippery Elm Bark Changed Everything

Here in Tealand we handcraft our blends. Working closely with healing herbs has allowed us to become very familiar with each one.Sometimes we use the flowers, or berries.Other times the whole plant,and with some herbs, we work with the roots or bark. Slippery Elm Bark is one of these.We blend with slippery elm utilizing the inner bark of the tree. This mucilaginous part of the tree offers the utmost in healing.It not only soothes an achy throat, but it has been traditionally used to help soothe the entire digestive system.
Generally we blend using the cut inner bark, it is very fluffy and somewhat stubborn in blending well with other herbs. We had an idea, why not use the powdered slippery elm bark? We add the powdered version of this healing tree to our Essiac formula and it works well with the other powdered herbs. Well... the answer is in the photo. Do you see that shine to the blend once water has been added? This blend was allowed to steep for 10 minutes, and when we began to strain it, well, the healing ,soothing, muscilaginous nature of slippery elm bark slowed the straining process almost completely to a halt! WOW! We were surprised at the thickness that the powder produced compared to the cotton cut version of the inner bark.Remember this is the same herb, the same part of the tree, only cut differently!The taste was somewhat altered as well, we think a bit smoother, much like one of Thayers throat lozenges, made from slippery elm bark. The recipe stayed the same except for this, what we thought,would be a minor change. Many of you may like this new version, and if so grab a package of Calm Your Cough Tea now, as this blend is a once in a blend situation.On a side note, if you don't like it and picked up a package please send us an e-mail and we'll ship you out our traditionally blended Calm Your Cough Tea!

Hunting the Elder plant in SW Florida

I found this plant while biking on Pine Island Florida this week. It is called Kalanchoe delagoensis. Common names are Mother of Thousands or Chandelier Plant. Although not a native plant,I have seen it blooming this week in Pine Island Sound and along the Manasota Key area. I was told that it was brought here as a house plant years ago and has since gone invasive on Florida's coast. The bright colored coral tubular flowers hang together, hence the name chandelier plant. The two places where I found it were near old home sites, long since abandoned. I was also told that it takes 2-3 years before the plant flowers, but once it starts to grow it is very invasive.I was on a mission to find the Beach Elder or Marsh Elder, native to Florida when I found this beautiful plant. The Beach or Marsh Elder is not a true Elder (Sambucus), but nonetheless I was intrigued when I was told that elder grew amongst the ocean areas.I have a real affinity for elderberry and love to use it when I can in my blends. When I travel to SW Florida yearly I bring extract made from elderberry that grows in SE Ohio known as Sambucus nigra (black elderberry) for some local friends. The health benefits are far reaching with a focus on supporting one's immune system and helping to fight off the flu. At The Herbal Sage Tea Company we make a highly concentrated extract with the elderberry fruit, as well as adding these powerful antioxidants to our Family Health Tea with elderberry. Thanks for reading this blog and I will share new plants that I discover as I travel the way of the Herbal Gypsy.

2012

This is the first day of thenew year, generally I try and take it one day at a time, but this year,2012,seems to be on every one's radar as an upcoming epic year.
Last fall flew by me and I did not have a chance to post to this blog. My father had been diagnosed with cancer in late fall, intitally, we were told that it was operable and that we could expect treatment and some recovery. That's not how it played out and now and we find out that it is terminal.
My parents are extremely strong individuals and when working as a team, as they have done for over 61 years, they are awesome. They have taken this diagnosis head on and are truly living each day to its fullest.Taking great care of each other and following the treatments prescribed, with the added benefits of eating quite well and having herbal teas in their daily diet.The fact that they are snowbirds and are now in the warm of Florida helps too!

As an herbalist and someone who plays the role of caretaker often,I have found myself very frustrated at times since the diagnosis. Although dad is enjoying many of my teas,including Happy Belly Organic Herbal Tea,he is beginning to feel the ill effects of his treatments.Currently he is also taking elderberry extract and Family Health Tea. The tea blend is rich in anti-oxidants,vitamin C, is all organic and caffeine free. Elderberry has been used traditionally to help fight the flu for centuries, and the extract is very effective.We do NOT want him to get the flu or any illness at this point!

We have purchased an RV and plan on traveling down south to visit them and help in any way, leaving in the next few weeks.I will also continue to look for new revenues for Herbal Sage Brand Teas,as I travel, and will have opportunity's to share my herbal knowledge in a couple of scheduled classes in Florida.

For now I am working hard to get Herbal Sage's main offices in order, with my excellent blending staff ready to blend in my absence.I plan on blogging as I travel, sharing herbal information, Herbal Sage Tea news and of course tidbits about my dad's road, and how we all travel with him as he moves thru it.
The Sage suggestion for today is,,,, to remember to take your elderberry extracts and share your herbal teas. Drink organic healthy herbs often and enjoy!